2019 Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac

Winemaker Notes: This wine has an enticing, dark and very intense, ruby color. The bouquet reveals aromas of ripe black fruit and cassis complemented by spicy notes with great freshness. The palate is precise and dense, evolving into charming and well rounded tannins with good length and structure. The overall impression is one of purity and elegance.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Vinous - "The 2019 Grand Puy Lacoste is deep purple in colour. Initially the bouquet is tight and so I left my sample for 15-20 minutes to open. It rewards patience with a beguiling mélange of pure blackberry, raspberry, crushed violet and pencil shavings, very focused and mineral-driven. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins. Compared to the robust, tannic GPL's of old, this is much more lithe and approachable, yet it still bears the DNA of this Pauillac estate. It might not possess the flair of other 2019 Left Banks, but that it is not what I seek from this estate. Classy and full of breeding - quintessential Pauillac. Barrel Sample: 95-97pts"


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "The 2019 Grand-Puy-Lacoste exhibits notions of minty cassis, plums, loamy soil, burning embers and cigar wrapper, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and velvety palate that’s deep and concentrated, its generous core of lively fruit concealing an elegantly muscular chassis of ripe, powdery tannin. Consisting of fully 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is another true classic from the Borie family. Best after 2027."


Decanter - "Lovely depth of colour, a big difference between the 1st and 2nd wine in this vintage, this just screams Pauillac with its pencil lead, charcoal and cassis notes. Glass-staining colour, extremely silky, with liquorice and chocolate adding layers without taking away from the purity of expression. Fine tannic hold, tons of character and clear longevity - this is a brilliant wine, easily equal to the 2018 and approaching the 2016. Barrel Sample"


James Suckling - "This is a very polished young wine with lemon-rind, blackcurrant, cedar and lavender character. It’s full, yet so refined and sophisticated, with floral undertones to the pretty fruit. The tannins are intense and long. Give this at least five or six years to soften. Try after 2025."


Wine Spectator - "Dark but vibrant and racy, with sleek black currant, blackberry and black cherry puree flavors coursing through, pierced by a graphite spine and backed by tobacco, singed alder and freshly plowed humus notes. The long finish has a smoldering hint without sacrificing the purity of the fruit. Rock-solid. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024"


Jeb Dunnuck - "A beautiful effort that does everything right, the 2019 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse offers a rich, medium to full-bodied, concentrated style that shows the inherent elegance, as well as richness, of the vintage. Darker currants, toasted spice, cedar pencil, and tobacco notes all define the bouquet, and it's quintessentially Pauillac with its aromatics as well as structure. It already offers pleasure, particularly with a decant (I followed this bottle for multiple days), but it will certainly benefit from 5-7 years in the cellar and is going to shine for at least two decades. Best after 2027."